Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/151

A.D. 1700.] . The king recommended both the English and Scottish parliaments to endeavour after a union of the kingdoms as most likely to end these disputes and to reconcile trade interests, and the lords proposed to entertain the question, but the commons refused.

These proceedings only added to the exasperation of the Scots. In March the marquis of Tweeddale presented an address to the king in the name of the whole Scottish nation, and signed by a vast number of persons of all ranks, praying for a speedy session of the Scotch parliament, in order to the settlement of this vital question, on which so much depended to that nation. This was conceded, and the Scottish parliament met on the 21st of May. No sooner was it opened than it was presented with a memorial from the Darien company, and was deluged with petitions from all parts of the country, calling for redress of the national wrongs. Within and without the house the public spirit was in a fever of indignation at the treatment received from both king and parliament in England. A resolution was immediately put and carried that the colony of Darien was a rightful and legal settlement according to the act of 1695, and that the parliament would maintain that right. The duke of Queensberry, the royal commissioner, saw that the Scotch parliament was hastening to an awkward collision with the English one, and he adjourned it for three days. But at the end of that time, finding the spirit of the estates unabated, he adjourned for twenty days more. This arbitrary proceeding only the more exasperated the members. They met in a private house, and the majority signed an address to the king, demanding that this irritating system of adjournment should be put an end to, and that the estates might sit uninterruptedly to transact the national business. Lord Ross presented this address, and William replied that he would let the parliament have his answer in Scotland. The king was in a greater strait than the Scots or the English themselves were aware of. He had entered into the partition treaty, and dared not for his life offend Louis or Spain by the least sanction of the Scotch company. The king's answer when it came was a fresh adjournment by proclamation. The people now lost all restraint; they burst forth in riot and menaces of war. They were drawing up a fresh address in higher terms, when the king thought it necessary to appease them by smooth words. He addressed a letter to the duke of Queensberry and the privy council, in which he excused the last adjournment by his absence; he was now in Holland, but expressed great sorrow for the sufferings of the nation. He said that, if it had been possible for him to have supported the claims of the association on Darien, he would have done it with the greatest pleasure; but that he would consult the interests and advance the prosperity of Scotland by all means in his power, and he begged them not to suffer themselves to be misled by evil-disposed persons. It has been strongly asserted that this letter was accompanied by substantial persuasives to a number of the leading agitators, but this did not allay the storm. It was loudly asserted that the opposition which William gave to their colony resulted neither from regard to the interests of England nor the treaties with Spain, but from favour to the Dutch, who from Curaçoa drove a coasting trade amongst the Spanish plantations with great advantage, which, they said. the Scotch colony, if once settled, would draw from them. Another warm address was voted to the king, but nothing came of it or the promises of the imperturbable Dutch king. Meantime the money which had been judiciously employed amongst the leaders in parliament was left to do its work.

William left England in the beginning of July, but before his departure he endeavoured to persuade Somers to give way to the rancour of the commons, and resign the seals. Somers refused to resign voluntarily, arguing that it would imply a fear of his enemies, or a consciousness of guilt; but William, who felt the necessity of leaving a better feeling behind him if possible, sent lord Jersey to Somers for the seals, and offered them successively to chief justice Holt, and to Treby, the attorney-general; both declined, however, what would have turned the enmity of parliament on them, and William was eventually obliged to bestow them on Nathan Wright, one of the serjeants-at-law, a man of no mark, and very indifferent qualifications for the office. William offered the government of Ireland to Shrewsbury; but he, too, declined the office, and set out for Italy. Every one seemed afraid of engaging in his government, so bitter was the parliament against him. Even his trusty Portland, now absolutely groaning under the weight of riches which William had heaped upon him, retired from his place in his household, and lord Jersey was appointed chamberlain, and lord Romney groom of the stole. William had never left the kingdom under circumstances of so much unpopularity, and scarcely was he gone when the duke of Gloucester, the only child of the princess Anne, now seventeen years old, died. This gave new hopes to the Jacobites. They dispatched a messenger to St. Germains with the news, and began to stir themselves all over the kingdom. In truth, the state of things was very gloomy for the protestant succession. No such successor was as yet appointed. The health and spirits of William were fast sinking. His person and government were extremely unpopular. The house of Brunswick had treated his advances with marked contempt, but they now came forward, urged by the critical state of things, and made their first visit of acknowledgment to the king. The princess Sophia, electress dowager of Hanover, was the person on whom the eyes of the protestants were now turned; but the nation was in a state of much uncertainty. It was rumoured that even Anne had sent a conciliatory letter to her father, and the public mind was disturbed by fears of a disputed succession, and of the reviving chances of a Stuart king.

William was scarcely arrived in Holland when he had the satisfaction of finding that he had rendered essential service by his fleet to his Swedish ally. He had not long before renewed an old treaty betwixt England and Sweden as a means of drawing that power from the intrigues of Louis of France, who was always endeavouring to combine Sweden, and Denmark against Holland, the emperor, and England. A stripling king, only eighteen years of age, was now on the throne of Sweden, under the guardianship of his grandmother. The northern powers, Russia, and Peter I., called the Great, Denmark and Frederick IV., and Poland., under Augustus II., also elector of Saxony, thought it a good opportunity to fall upon Sweden, and divide amongst themselves the Swedish possessions on their side of the Baltic. Peter bargained for as much of Finland and Esthonia as he